Sphinx - "He does. But the monkey somehow let itself out of its enclosure and got a little rambunctious and then apparently cut its arm on something. Matthew's on his way to a 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic, so Chase and I decided to just hang out at your place."

Me - "Matthew seriously has a monkey?"

Sphinx - "See you in a few minutes!"

Me - "A monkey?"

Matthew called a couple of hours later to let us know that the monkey was resting comfortably and recovering quickly. Any relief I might have felt aside, I obviously don't know my friends as well as I think I do.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

"I arrive at the front of the supermarket. Now I have twenty-one candles to stack up on the counter. The people behind me wait impatiently for me to finish lining them up. The people in front of me get out of my way quickly. The black woman behind me asks, "Why you buying all them candles?" I answer, "Because they're cheaper here." The Latin cashier rings up seven Guadalupes--three green, three white, and one bright pink. She looks at me quickly and lowers her eyes. Gold Caridads. Red Miguels. Blue Reglas, and a host of others, unmarked, unnamed.

"I walk out of the store to the music of candles dancing and change jiggling in my pocket. Before I get to the car I hear the woman who was behind me say to her husband, "She ain't fooling nobody, that woman working magic with those candles." She knows. I turn around and look at her. We both try not to smile."

Evnissyen: "Lover of Strife"

A character from the epic Mabinogion, whose tendency to bash heads first and ask questions later leads to a terrible war between Britain and Ireland. Also, a modern-day, kind of high-maintenance, very male Witch from Houston, Texas. He can often be found not keeping his mouth shut and taking creative liberties with What Really Happened.